Can I Ask?
by krazykoreangurl
Summary: The time has come. All that's left for her to do now is question her heart and follow it.


Krazykoreangurl here ~ ^_^ I've had this on my mind since Kubo finished the Arrancar Arc. (SPOILER ALERT) Seeing that Rangiku mentioned in the manga that she wouldn't have been able to move from Gin's sword when he attacked her if he had left behind a note or something. (END) So I let my imagination wonder and thought up of a scene where Rangiku would question Gin in her mind.

**Disclaimer:** I sadly do not own.

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Gold hair shined brightly in the red sunlight as dimmed blue eyes watched the sun set with a sick feeling to her stomach.

'_Tomorrow… tomorrow, we will see each other, Gin.'_

Rangiku looked up at few stars that dotted the sky and smiled sadly.

'_Can either one of us… kill the other? I… I don't know what to think.'_

Getting up from her spot on the grass, she silently dusted off the dirt from her shihakusho and glanced once more at the setting sun.

'_Gin… I have no doubt that you can raise your sword at me.'_

Following the trail that led out of the meadow and into the thick forest, she stopped momentarily at a tree to look at the crescent moon that hung suspended in the dark blue sky.

'_In fact… I know you will raise your sword at me. You will raise it… but will you raise it to kill me? Or will you raise it… to protect me?'_

She chuckled dryly.

'_I believe it's the first… isn't it Gin? And how will I respond once you do raise your sword?'_

She carefully stepped over a large root that stuck out of the ground.

'_I will raise my sword… to defend myself, won't I Gin? Yes… because the days of us fighting side by side have come to a stop, haven't they, Gin? What we once were… is now no more.'_

As she exited the thick forest, she continued down the dirt path towards the Gotei 13, out of Rukongai.

'_Gin, why do I feel responsible? Why do I feel like it's my fault for your betrayal? Why do I feel like I could've stopped you?'_

The lieutenant walked into the Sereitei, nodding in response to several greetings that were thrown her way.

'_Gin… why is it that out of all the years we've spent together… why is it that I only have questions?'_

She looked up in surprise to see where her feet had unknowingly led her.

'_Gin… I only have questions for you. You stupid fox… you've gone and done that purposely, haven't you?'_

She was at the 3rd Squad's HQ.

'_All I can do is ask and ask you Gin… but you won't ever respond, huh?'_

She decided to walk into the desolate building and continued walking, ignoring the stares she was receiving.

'_Because you left… isn't that right, Gin?'_

She stopped in the middle of the persimmon garden, aware of the fact that once she was on the other side, she'd be at the 3rd Squad's barracks.

'_Can I ask you why you left, Gin?'_

She took a deep breathe, appreciating the smell of her favorite fruit… that had also been Gin's favorite fruit as well.

'_Can I ask where we went wrong?'_

She had helped Gin with planting these trees.

'_Can I ask… do you still love me?'_

She continued walking as a stab of pain shot through her heart as an image of a younger self and a newly appointed Ichimaru-taicho worked hard at planting the garden.

'_Can I ask… if I could've saved you from the darkness?'_

As she exited the garden, she glanced up at the large 3 written on the front of the barracks. She knew which room she was headed for.

'_Gin… when did you leave me?'_

She walked up the stairs to the top floor.

'_Did you never love me…?'_

She stopped walking as she stood in front of the last room on the floor.

'_What's the point in asking all these questions… Gin?'_

She entered the room with her spare key and quietly closed the door behind her, entering the dark, musty room. She had been in this room one too many times.

'_We both know… that when we see each other on that battlefield…'_

Her eyes drifted to the picture that stood on his fireplace. Her eyes widened when she realized that something was wrong with it. She knew that picture. She had the same one on her fireplace, but it had two people in it, not one…

'_I will be unable to breathe.'_

She moved towards it slowly, the breath knocked out of her.

'_If it your blade coming at me… I will dodge.'_

She took the picture frame gently in her hands. The glass was cracked and half of it was missing. On the remaining glass, she saw drops of dried blood.

'_If things come down to it… I will raise my sword at you and aim for your heart.'_

The picture was now ripped in half, only leaving Gin's smiling face and his hand which showed half of a heart. She carefully pulled it out from under the glass.

'_If you kill one of my loved ones, I will not forgive you.'_

Tears dropped onto the picture that now was gently held in her hand.

'_And Gin… when we see each other on that battlefield…'_

She knew what the other half of the picture would show.

'_I will love you. And you Gin…'_

On the other half, she was there beside him, smiling in her late teens*****, with one hand completing their heart.

_Their_ heart.

Their **love.**

'_You will love me… like you've always done.'_

Smiling sadly, she put the picture in her sleeve, fully aware of where the other half was.

'_And even so… we will raise our swords at each other.'_

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FIN.

So ~ that's finished. (: Reviews are welcomed, flames will be shut down, and helpful criticism is welcome. ^^"Comments would be nice.

***late teens: As most Bleach anime watchers or manga readers know, those in Soul Society can look like their 30, but be really 2 centuries old! :0 So, when I say late teens, Rangiku and Gin appear to be perhaps 16 or 17 in the picture, but in reality they could be perhaps 70 years old, give or take. **


End file.
